Rodger CuznerLiberalParliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Employment

Mr. Speaker, one of the benefits of being in this House for 18 years is that one can remember back to when the Conservatives wanted to cut the program entirely, but Mike Savage, Maria Minna, and the Liberal caucus fought hard to make sure that the program was reinstated. The Conservatives got dragged back into the program, and then put no more money into it from 2006 on.

Mr. Speaker, clearly the Liberals will clap at anything, because it is no justification for discrimination to say, “We increased funding to the program that's discriminating.” That is what we are talking about here.

After the Liberals voted down our motion, now they are saying they might not proceed with the values test next year. The minister continues to deny funding to charitable organizations that are helping the very groups the member talks about this year.

If the parliamentary secretary knows that the values test is bad for an election year, why will he not get rid of it right now?

Mr. Speaker, as co-chair of the all-party steel caucus, I am proud to have hosted our Prime Minister in Hamilton earlier this month.

We sat and talked with steelworkers from both ArcelorMittal Dofasco and Stelco, as well as union representatives and stakeholders. We heard first-hand the concerns that they have over steel import tariffs and their unintended consequences concerning steel dumping.

The transshipment and dumping of unfairly cheap foreign steel and aluminum is a threat to Canadian jobs and the North American NAFTA market. Canada has one of the toughest enforcement regimes in the world, with 71 trade remedy measures already in place.

We are strengthening this enforcement further, including new powers for CBSA. We will always stand up for Canadian steel and aluminum workers, and for NAFTA.

Mr. Speaker, on March 1, when the public safety minister was asked why the Liberals will not let the national security adviser appear at committee, he said, “You are asking me to wade into a classified discussion. I can’t do that.” Then he ran away from questions, to the elevator.

Today he says that none of the information given by that adviser to the media was classified.

Ralph GoodaleLiberalMinister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Mr. Speaker, as I have said consistently, the comments that have been attributed to the national security adviser in the media disclosed no confidential information. The challenge, of course, is the questions the members of the opposition want to pursue in relation to classified matters in the context of this whole affair.

We have offered to answer those questions. We have offered to give them the whole information. They continue to refuse.

Mr. Speaker, the stranded Air Transat passengers have not forgotten that the minister promised them a speedy resolution by adopting a passenger bill of rights. It has been a year since the incident and two and a half years since this government was elected, but there is still nothing, and the bill could double the amount of time that passengers have to wait on the tarmac before they get assistance. The Liberal government obviously does not have the guts to deal with the airlines.

Could the minister tell us whether he is going to show some courage and eliminate the provision doubling the tarmac time limit in his Bill C-49?

Mr. Speaker, I always try to show courage in everything I do in life. I promised Canadians that there would be a passenger bill of rights when the bill is passed. That bill of rights will be prepared by the Canadian Transportation Agency. It will be the best passenger bill of rights in the world. If my colleague can be patient a little longer, it will come out later this year.

Mr. Speaker, in a healthy and prosperous society, it is essential to ensure that everyone can participate in the economy on a level playing field.

Can the Minister of Status of Women tell us what we are doing in budget 2018 to further empower women so that they have equal opportunities to work in the field of their choice and further their careers, whether they are just starting out or are experienced professionals?

Mr. Speaker, I thank my colleague from Vimy for her leadership in advancing gender equality. By investing in women, we will improve the economy for everyone.

Budget 2018 includes several measures to close the gender wage gap, including an investment of $1.65 billion for a women's entrepreneurship strategy to support women to start and grow their businesses and to benefit from trade agreements, and to create jobs for all Canadians, because when we invest in women we grow the economy for everyone.

Mr. Speaker, last year my constituents went through the worst B.C. wildfire in history. In the aftermath, residents tried to salvage what they could, harvesting some of the wood on their property. It is now tax time, and the capital gains from selling their wood are putting them into a higher tax bracket. We have seniors losing their OAS and GIS. Months ago, we asked the finance minister to create a simple fix. We have not even had the courtesy of a response.

Will the government do what it said, stand by the victims, and commit to fixing this failure today?

Mr. Speaker, we recognize that the Canadians affected by the wildfires, particularly in British Columbia, are facing challenges, and the Canada Revenue Agency is committed to helping ease their burden.

The CRA provides taxpayer relief in the event of natural disasters, such as the B.C. wildfires. Every application for taxpayer relief is examined individually.

Mr. Speaker, the negotiations between the Davie shipyard and the federal government regarding the conversion of ships have been dragging on because Ottawa cannot make up its mind.

The federal government is making Davie beg on its hands and knees for a contract to convert three used icebreakers, and meanwhile we have learned that the Liberals have a plan up their sleeve to build six brand new icebreakers. There are 800 workers in Quebec City who want nothing more than to go back to work.

What is the government doing? Does it have a plan to solve this problem?

The Liberals' plan, if one can call it that, seems to be this: to award $100 million in shipbuilding contracts but not give a cent to Quebec; to say they need four icebreakers converted and then remove the most profitable and put the other three on hold; to keep plans for building six new icebreakers under wraps; and to tinker with the tendering process so that Davie is excluded from bidding on the maintenance of seven frigates.

Mr. Speaker, the Coast Guard has identified its icebreaking needs, and we are working with the Davie shipyard to meet those needs. We are negotiating with Davie and we will continue with those discussions. The process is ongoing.

I would like to draw to the attention of hon. members the presence in the gallery of Mrs. Georgette LeBlanc, the eighth parliamentary poet laureate; the Hon. David Eby, attorney general for the Province of British Columbia; and Mr. Fred Sasakamoose, elder of Ahtahkakoop Cree Nation, a former student at St. Michael’s Indian Residential School, the first indigenous hockey player in the NHL, and the inspiration for Richard Wagamese’s award-winning book and the film of the same name, Indian Horse.